ELIANO #8
A moment later, I hear muffled voices, maybe a secretary, and then Jordan’s voice, formal and controlled.
"I’m sorry, Storm, but I’m in a meeting with clients right now—"
"This is more important. Something happened. They’ll have to wait," Storm cuts in.
More footsteps, doors, and then I hear Storm relaying everything I told him, asking Jordan to contact his brother, Detective Arnold.
"Well, shit, this is crazy," Jordan mutters into the phone. "All right. I’m calling him now."
Storm comes back on the line.
"Send us the address. Stay there and wait for the police."
"Okay."
Part of me wants to go back underground, but at the same time, the image of the omegas in those cages tears a hole straight through my chest. I have been locked in cages before. Not for that long, but still, I know what it feels like. I know what they are going through.
"What a monster," I mutter under my breath, staring at the unconscious Tanner. "You’re the one Salt should’ve killed first."
A moment later, Ennio comes down the stairs.
"I shut off the cameras. It’s clean," he says. He glances at Tanner and adds, "I’ll leave you with this mess, Eliano. You’ll manage. Good luck."
I step up to him quickly and place a hand on his shoulder.
"Thank you, Ennio."
He grimaces and pulls back. "Don’t thank me. Just remember, you owe me. And there will come a time when I’ll expect that debt to be paid."
"Fair enough. I’ll do my best to repay it."
Ennio leaves, and I am alone.
I sit on the windowsill, watching Tanner lying there. The sight of him fills me with dark thoughts. I understand all too well why Salt dreamed of revenge. This psycho deserves it a hundred times over.
Suddenly, my phone starts ringing again.
It is Storm, which surprises me.
"Listen, Eliano… what I’m about to say sounds insane, but I’m looking at Senu’s photo again, because something caught my attention…"
"Yeah?" I ask. "What is it?"
A moment of silence follows. Long. Then a heavy sigh, as if he is not sure whether he should even be telling me this.
"I know you have a cautious approach to my ability to sense fated mates. But I think I know who his True Mate is, and it’s the most unbelievable answer imaginable."
"Who is it? Spit it out."
Storm lets out a nervous laugh.
"I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but I think it’s Jordan Arnold."
"What? The lawyer? But he’s a beta and Senu is an omega…"
Storm snorts impatiently.
"And why would that be impossible? Salt is your True Mate even though he’s a beta."
I go a little blank for a moment.
"So that kind of pairing is actually possible?"
"Of course it is. All combinations are possible."
"Wow…" The information takes a second to sink in, slowly seeping past my disbelief. "You’re confident it really is Jordan? That insane coincidence?"
"I don’t believe in coincidences. Fate puts people in our path for a reason."
"With that I agree. But how do you tell him? This guy seems very… stern."
"Yeah, about that. He’s a prickly dude, always keeps his guard up. I’ve never seen him date anyone. I’m worried about how he’ll take it."
I don’t really know Jordan personally. My impression was that he is sharp, severe, and hard to approach. Still, he helped me, despite his poor health at the time, so…
"I think you should tell him now. Senu is in terrible shape, curled up in the corner of the cage. I tried to coax him out, but nothing worked. I don’t even know how the police are going to get him out without dragging him by force, and that would be disastrous."
"The police will probably send not only doctors, but also people from a crisis intervention center. Someone there may be able to take care of Senu."
"Storm… he seems completely shut down. I said his name, I even mentioned Salt, and he didn’t react at all. It’s like he’s been stunned. I think you should try to tell Jordan, if this really is a case of TMs."
"Shit." Storm snorts. "All right. I’ll try to handle it somehow. You stay there and wait."
He hangs up.
What the fuck, this day just got even crazier. Not only did I find Senu, but his fated also emerged!
So I sit there for a good half hour, my head like a beehive. Tanner stays unconscious. I assume the dose of sedatives Ennio gave him was truly massive.
Again, I wrestle with the urge to go back down to the omegas, but I cannot bring myself to do it. The image is etched into my brain. The cages. The naked bodies. The brutality. The stench of filthy skin, sweat, blood. The faces, feral, terrified.
Finally, two cars pull up in front of the building.
I recognize one as Storm’s. The other one is unfamiliar. I wait for them in the doorway.
Storm approaches first. Jordan walks beside him, dragging one leg only slightly. He’s obviously much better than the last time, though he hasn’t fully healed yet. His expression is strange, his face pale, and his mouth drawn tight. He doesn’t look at me. His entire posture radiates tension.
Behind them comes a tall man who looks strikingly similar to Jordan, only even more solidly built. An alpha in his early forties, with dark hair and dark eyes. I can guess it’s Detective Arnold.
Two more police officers follow him. He clearly did not arrive with a full police unit yet, but in the distance I already hear sirens and an ambulance. More units are already on the way.
"Eliano Ferro," I introduce myself as he approaches. "Daniel Tanner is in the studio," I explain calmly. "He is handcuffed and unconscious. He was given a dose of a sedative."
"My brother told me you are… the brother-in-law of one of the victims?"
"Yes," I say, realizing this is exactly the right way to put it. "I came here to find the location of Senu’s remains, but ended up discovering so much more."
Then I gesture toward the door.
"Come with me. The entrance to the basement is in the kitchen, hidden behind the refrigerator. But Tanner is there." I point the way.
Arnold signals to his two officers to go to the studio and secure Tanner, while he proceeds downstairs with me, Storm, and Jordan.
The sight that greets us below clearly makes a strong impression on all of them.
That is hardly surprising, though the detective seems the least visibly shaken, probably because he has seen his share of fucked-up things in his career, but even he gives a small shake of his head in obvious disapproval.
I glance at Jordan. He has been standing rigidly next to Storm the entire time, his hands clenched into fists. I can almost physically feel the stress running through his system.
What is going through his head, how he is processing this, I have no idea. He does not look relieved. He looks deeply distressed.
"He’s in…" I start, but Storm stops me.
"No. Don’t tell him. He’ll know if Senu is his fated mate. He’ll pick the right cage."
Jordan’s dark eyes lock onto Storm. He curses under his breath, then turns toward the cages.
"Do you really think this is a good idea right now, this kind of test?" I mutter to Storm, so quietly that a beta’s hearing couldn’t possibly catch it.
Storm nods firmly.
Jordan scans the omegas in the cages. Detective Arnold, positioned beside us, watches him closely as well, clearly intrigued.
Finally, Jordan stops at the last cage, where Senu is curled up.
He stares for a second, his eyes meeting Senu’s. Then he turns his head toward us and gives a small nod.
Storm and I nod back, smiling in a way that feels almost inappropriate in a place like this. But come on! He picked Senu out of seven people, and that means something. And he didn’t hesitate.
Even Detective Arnold raises his eyebrows and lets out a soft whistle.
A slow breath loosens in my chest. I can hope now that Senu’s fate will finally begin to change for the better, and hopefully fast.
We step closer. Jordan is still staring. I’ve rarely seen a human face turn so pale. Chalk white.
"Senu," Storm says unexpectedly, his voice gentle.
"I am a purple alpha with a certain special gift. I can see people’s True Mates, either in person or from a photograph.
" He clears his throat and gestures lightly toward Jordan.
"This man here is your True Mate. By an unbelievable twist of Fate, I happen to know him.
I thought bringing him here might help you. "
Senu’s eyes shift to Jordan’s face.
He studies him for a moment, and for the first time I see any reaction from him beyond shrinking into the corner. His cracked, chapped lips tremble slightly. He swallows.
"Will you come out to us?" I ask quietly.
But Senu stays curled up, motionless, pressed into the corner of the cage.
Detective Arnold steps closer.
"For him, leaving the cage is associated only with something horrific," he says softly. "I’ve seen cases like this before. In his mind, the cage is the safest place."
Then Jordan suddenly speaks. His voice is firm. "Leave me alone with him. Give us space."
Storm, Arnold, and I exchange surprised looks, but something in Jordan’s tone convinces us. If he truly is Senu’s True Mate, then he is the best person to reach him.
We all step back from the cage and move toward the entrance of the room.
In the meantime, Detective Arnold begins opening the cages one by one.
A moment later, we hear footsteps as more police officers and people who look like medical personnel come down the stairs.
I cannot be certain, since I am not familiar with these kinds of operations.
The group is large. Arnold must have called for solid backup.
Storm places a hand on my shoulder.
"I think we should let the police do their job. I know Jordan will take care of Senu."
"He believed you right away?" I ask, a little surprised, remembering how hard it was for me to believe Storm when he told me Salt was my True Mate.